Grapes of Wrath, the alternate ending
by Seramela
Summary: Well, I read this in English and didn't like the book so I killed some characters. Technically its only a tragedy if you liked the book otherwise hopefully you will find it rather enjoyable! Really though I hope you like it and please review! Thanks!


FYI I don't own any of these characters. I had to write this for English class, and decided that since I wasn't crazy about the book in the first place I would move the ending up about a hundred pages and kill of some of the characters. I hope you enjoy it, I did my best, and HOPEFULLY I can get some time to write and post some more interesting stories! Please review! I have never gotten a review before lol. Hope you like it a litte.  
  
Here it goes...  
  
Six months had passes since Rose of Sharon's baby died, and life for the Joads had not improved very much. Every day Pa went looking for work. Ma started noticing that Rose of Sharon kept very quiet and had almost completely stopped interacting with anyone in the family.  
  
"Pa, you noticed how Rosasharn been actin' lately? Been keepin' all quiet and ta herself," Ma asked one night.  
  
"Ma, all I know is we ain't got 'nuf food and we ain't got no work and there ain't one damn thing I can do 'bout it."  
  
"I'm a-gonna go and talk at 'er," Ma decided.  
  
"Would ya just leave the poor thing alone, she went an' los' 'er baby and 'er good fer nuthin husben, she been through enough I'd say," Pa pleaded.  
  
"Well I'm still a-gonna talk ta 'er," Ma said pulling herself up off of the ground.  
  
"Ma! MA! Come quick! Winfiel' went an' hit somebody! Hurry Ma!" Ruthie yelled from outside.  
  
"Can't get nuthin done wit those darned kids runnin' 'round."  
  
It was nearly three AM when Rose of Sharon woke up in complete sadness. It was as if the reality of everything that had happened so far had just finally hit her. Her baby died, Pa had no work, there was no money, and they still didn't have a real house to live in yet. Worst of all she had driven her husband away, the one man she truly loved, the one man she could count on to help her get through this. She realized she was never getting a house in the city with him, they weren't going to the movies together, and she couldn't raise their family with him. Unable to think of any reason for living, she slowly and quietly got out of bed, went to find Pa's gun that he had in the truck and crept down to the river. She looked down at her own reflection sitting alone in the moonlight and saw nothing but uselessness and failure.   
  
"Connie's gone, he ain't never comin' back. Life is too dern hard, there ain't no more reasons fer me to continue with it," she said out loud to herself.  
  
A week later, a car pulled up next to the Joad's tent. With amazement, Ma and Pa watched as Connie stepped out of the car wearing all new clothes.  
  
"What are you doin' here Connie, doncha know ya ain't welcome here no more," Pa asked, slowly and threateningly walking towards Connie.  
  
"I come back fer my wife and chil'. Where are they?"  
  
Ma silently crawled back into the tent, tears running down her cheeks.  
  
"Well, I guess yer jus' too dern late fer that ain't ya, Connie," Pa replied bitterly.  
  
"What do you mean? I went and made somethin' of myself! I met a man who works on pichers and he teached me all 'bout how they is made and how they work. Mr. Fields is gonna let me work on the picher shows wit 'im and Mrs. Fields said Rosasharn can clean the house fer some extra money. Mr. Fields, he an important man in the picher business, we is lucky folks ta even know him!"  
  
"I awrea'y tol' you, you are too late, now git 'fore I make you git!" Pa yelled, getting angrier by the minute.  
  
"But Pa, I could help y'all get work too! Mr. Fields might have so'more jobs."  
  
"We don' need no help from yer kin' thank you ve'y much," Pa snapped.  
  
"Jus' tell me where Rasasharn is," Connie begged.  
  
"She dead!" Ma yelled, now standing back outside the tent, "She gone and died of a broke heart and it's all cause you and yer fillin' her head with ideas 'bout goin' in to the picher shows all the time." Connie looked at her in horror, but Ma went on as if she didn't notice. "The baby dead too, born that way. You came and brough' sin in ta that poor girl's life and caused all this pain."  
  
The gifts Connie had in his hands slowly dropped to the ground followed by Connie.  
  
"No! Not Rosasharn! She wouldn't do it! It can't be! It wasn't my fault! I went to make things better fer her and all I done was go an' make stuff worse fer everyone." Connie pulled himself up and got into his car, almost in a daze and drove off as fast as his car would allow.  
  
Later that night, new people arrived at the camp, with looks of disbelief on the faces.  
  
"Can you believe som'ne in such a nice car would go an' kill hisself by drivin' inta a bunch a trees?"  
  
"It's definitely a shame. Guy looked perty young too, twenty-three at the most."  
  
Pa looked quickly to Ma who just shook her head and went back to preparing her dinner. 


End file.
